Rule of Rebellion
by Kagaminelover657
Summary: After remembering her childhood fully, Jennifer finally finds the strength to stand up for herself, and moves on with her life. However, when she comes across a made up story she doesn't remember seeing in her memories, she questions whether there is more to her past. But is it really a missing memory, or another fairytail Wendy created? Includes OCs. Occurs after Rule of Rose.
1. Prologue: Another Missing Memory?

**Hello! I'm new to this area of fanfiction, since I've only just recently discovered Rule of Rose. The facts about the game I might get wrong since I'm kinda aware of the ending and such in the game, but I can't remember all the facts properly, even though I've researched this game inside and out to get to know the characters a lot better, etc. So if I've made any errors to do with facts and such, then could you please help me improve this by telling me? I will be very appreciated!**

**But anyway, I'm gonna give a bit of a explanation about this story before you read it, since I didn't really know what to put in the summary. Since there is no sequel to Rule of Rose, no one knows what Jennifer did next after the ordeal with the Rose Garden Orphanage, or if that was really real or just her memories. So, I created up my own theory. After Jennifer was taken away from Rose Garden Orphanage after the massacre occurred, she was placed at a different orphanage where she was treated better than her previous one. Because of the bullying she had received in the past and since she had no help, I believe Jennifer may have withdrawn into herself and become scared to fight back, and that she pushed her memories away so she didn't remember them. And in the actual game, all that we see is her going back through those memories so she can overcome her fears and become the person who she really is. My theories are explained throughout this prologue, but I've pointed it out in case no one notices. **

**So this story takes place after Jennifer has locked away her memories, and the rest of the chapters begin in the same format as the stories Jennifer finds throughout the game. You know, those paper books. But just like the game, my story hides within a very big twist. I want to see if anyone can guess it before I finish writing this story. **

**Anyway, I apologise for rambling! Hope you enjoy the story, or prologue at least! :)**

* * *

Prologue: Another Missing Memory?

"Christopher, please stop running down the corridors! Lucy, please take that toy out of your mouth. They are not meant to be eaten- Ow! Lewis, please watch where you are aiming that!-"

Jennifer glanced up from her work towards the door of the sick bay as Mr Rosary tried to calm the children down as best he could. She giggled to herself as she turned back to her work, putting away the medical tools back in the draw where they belonged. She was happy at least that this Orphanage actually cared about what the children were doing.

Jennifer remembered how warm and welcome they'd been when she arrived here at Rosary Orphanage shortly after the incident at Rose Garden Orphanage with "Stray Dog". The children she'd grown up with here had been a lot kinder than the ones back at Rose Garden Orphanage, and they didn't have a Rule of Rose type order either, which Jennifer had been very relieved about. Of course, most of those children had left now; however she'd offered to fill the maid and nurse position in order to help look after the children. Jennifer had however withdrawn into herself despite all the support she'd had from the adults and children here, and had grown up to become a gloomy and depressed woman who couldn't stand up for herself.

After Jennifer had remembered the promise she'd made to Brown, she no longer hid from the childhood memories that scarred her. She became a better version of herself: The version of herself who had stood up to the Aristocrats and fought back against the treatment they had given her. Since she hadn't received the help that was needed from adults when she was a child, she always stood up and took care of the children here so they didn't turn out like she had. She wanted them to have a better childhood.

Mr Rosary was always keeping an eye on the children anyway. He'd been there for Jennifer whenever she had problems, and still was now. He was like a Father to her and the other children. He showed he cared, unlike Mr Hoffman who had been like him at first, but had changed later on; however Jennifer would always remember those at the Rose Garden Orphanage, who would always be her family. Diana, Meg, Eleanor, Amanda, Susan, Olivia, Wendy, Xavier, Nicholas, Thomas, Clara and Brown… No matter what they had done to her, she would always remember them and keep them alive in her memories. After all, they made up a big part of her childhood.

"Come along now children! It's time for bed!"

Jennifer was snapped out of her thoughts once again by the sound of Mr Rosary's voice. As the children's tiny footsteps thudded along the floor past the sick bay, Jennifer finished cleaning up the room fully. She gathered her things and slowly walked out into the hall, gently shutting the door behind her. The lights had been dimmed now, meaning the children must have been taken to the dormitory.

Jennifer quietly headed towards the stairs leading up towards her room. She halted suddenly as she felt a light tug on her dress. It had come as quite a surprise; however, she prevented herself from crying out in order to not wake anyone. Her imagination still ran wild with the thought of an imp being behind her; although she knew they didn't exist. They were just stories Wendy had made up. The children here had created little stories of their own, but none were about Imps sweeping children away luckily.

Without hesitating, Jennifer glanced down to find a young girl with chin length brunette hair and big brown eyes staring up at her curiously. She was wearing a white long sleeved nightie, and was holding what appeared to be a paper book in one hand, which dangled near the floor. She appeared to be around nine years old. Jennifer smiled warmly at the young girl, kneeling down so that the two were at equal eye level.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Jane?"

The young girl, Jane, nodded innocently at Jennifer.

"I know I should be Miss Jennifer, but the question I wanted to ask you couldn't wait until the morning!"

She carefully held out the paper book to Jennifer, in which the pages were tied together loosely by a single piece of wool. The way the story book had been made was similar to the ones Mr Gregory Wilson had made for Jennifer when she lived with him for those 7 months, and of course his deceased son Joshua. She had taken these from the Orphanage after the massacre and brought them here, sharing them with the other children when she had regained her memory. She had no need of them anymore, but they were of good use to the children here to help keep them occupied.

"This is the one story you never explained to us. You told us the reasons behind the others, but not this one" Jane continued as Jennifer carefully took the book from her.

There had been times where the children of the Orphanage had questioned Jennifer on how these stories were made, since it interested them a lot. Jennifer was aware that Mr Wilson had created these books, but he didn't know of what was occurring at the Orphanage. She had come to the conclusion that Wendy must have asked him to make them while disguised as Joshua, with her giving him the ideas based off her experiences with Jennifer. Jennifer had told the children about the Rule of Rose and how it had worked at the Rose Garden Orphanage. They had been very fascinated by the idea, yet they didn't like the fact that children were punished for their actions.

Jennifer read the title:** Rule of Rebellion**. She frowned. This is the one story she didn't remember. She remembered the others, but this one… She didn't remember anything like this occurring at the Orphanage. "Rule of Rebellion"? She didn't remember that either… How odd.

"Hm… I would tell you Jane, but I can't seem to remember reading this story…"

Jane's eyes sparkled a little with excitement.

"Then could you read it to me please? I haven't read it either, and it seems to be longer than the other stories you gave us"

Jennifer pondered on the young girl's request for a moment. She knew Jane really should be asleep by now, but the story might help the young girl drift off. Plus, she was curious about the story herself, considering it was unfamiliar to her. Maybe it would reveal a memory she'd missed and that was still hidden somewhere under lock and key. Sighing, Jennifer slowly stood up, holding her hand out to Jane.

"Very well, but promise me you'll go straight to bed soon after"

Jane grinned happily, gently taking hold of Jennifer's hand.

"I promise"

Jane reminded Jennifer of Thomas, since she tended to be just as mischievous as he was. Mr Rosary was constantly scolding her, but he knew that it was just a phase. Jane would grow out of it eventually. Jennifer quietly led the little girl up the stairs. She would have taken her back to her bed, but she may awaken the other children while reading the story. She didn't want to disturb them.

After walking up the full set of stairs onto the second floor, Jennifer turned towards the first door to her left, slowly opening it. This was the room that she had been given by Mr Rosary. Jane let go of the young woman's hand and quickly ran towards the bed, sitting down on it by the pillow with her legs crossed, and her hands clasped together in her lap. Jennifer sat by her after turning on the light in the room, but on the edge of the bed rather than on it. She stared at the drawing on the front cover. The drawing was not that of Mr Wilson's, since it appeared to be less scruffy. The picture was of a young girl who didn't look familiar to Jennifer at all. This confused her even more. Had Wendy drawn this perhaps?

Well, she wouldn't find anything out if she just sat there staring! Jennifer slowly and carefully turned the cover over as Jane sat up straighter, seeming to be excited by the whole ordeal. Jennifer smiled at the girl, amused by her actions, before beginning to read the story. She even noticed that the handwriting wasn't Mr Wilson's either, but she didn't dwell on it for long.

"Once upon a time, there lived a lost girl…"


	2. Chapter 1: The Lost Girl

**Ok, so this story will follow the plot for Rule of Rose a little, as in some of the Aristocrat gifts and what happens to Jennifer, etc, since this happens during her past, but there will be other things going on. And as I said before, this is told in a story like format similar to that of the paper books Jennifer finds in the game, hence why some of it is in Italics. But thank you to those who have reviewed, favourited, and followed this story already. I hope you enjoy the first chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

Chapter 1: The Lost Girl

_Once upon a time, there lived a lost girl. _

_The Lost Girl was known for always wandering off and getting lost. Even if she had been given directions, she always managed to wander off the path that was set and somehow lose her way._

_The Lost Girl was always alone, never having any friends or any family. She had no one who could help her stay on the right path, hence why she was always lost._

_One day, a young boy happened upon the Lost Girl outside of an abandoned shed. She appeared to be sleeping. Not sure of what to do, the young boy dashed back down the dirt road towards a large mansion to alert someone of his discovery…_

* * *

The girl slowly opened her eyes to find herself lying on the cold, hard, dirtied ground. She lay on her stomach with her head turned to the left, facing a small shed that appeared abandoned. The girl slowly pushed herself up with her hands, managing to kneel. She felt a bit weak.

(How did I get here again…?)

The girl jumped at the sudden sound of gurgling noises coming from her stomach. She wrapped her arm around it tightly. The noise had disturbed the peaceful silence that was around right now.

(I remember now. I must have fainted from hunger…)

It was all starting to come back to her now. She had wandered here after trying to look for help and collapsed due to hunger. The girl hadn't eaten in a while, which wasn't really her fault. She hadn't been able to find food while out walking, and the only food she had gathered from bushes and trees were not very edible. If only her Father and Mother were still alive...

The girl slowly stood up, and glanced around at the large trees surrounding her. It appeared to be daylight. How long had she been unconscious for? As the girl stepped back to look further at the canopy of trees above her, she heard a loud splash behind her. She jumped back a little and quickly swirled around to find that she had only stepped in a puddle. The girl sighed in relief then, knowing there was nothing to be frightened of.

(Has it been raining?)

It had been raining before she reached here. She remembered that, so it seemed the puddle hadn't properly dried up yet. The girl carefully studied her currently distorted reflection in the puddle. Her bright blonde hair was matted, especially her fringe which rested in the middle of her head. The length of it only stayed just above her bright green eyes. The two plaits which she had put in her hair were quite matted too, falling as far as the bottom of her shoulders. The rest of her hair only reached just underneath her chin in length.

As for her dress, it luckily wasn't in as bad a state as she thought it would be. The only thing that was dirtied on her sleeveless light blue dress was her white pinafore. The front had a bit of mud on it, which might have appeared when she collapsed last night. The dress stopped halfway down her shins. And then there were her light brown boots that almost reached her knees. Out of all the clothing she wore, the girl had guessed that those would have been the dirtiest. And she was right. The front of her boots were completely caked in mud that appeared after last night's heavy rainfall.

The girl sighed heavily, wrapping her arms around her middle for comfort.

(How much longer am I going to last out here?)

The girl wouldn't have been worried if the weather had been warmer; however, despite the fact that the middle of March had finally arrived, the air around her was still quite chilly. She was concerned of getting sick and not being able to treat herself.

"She's over here sir! The sleeping girl is over here, by the shed!"

The girl's eyes widened as she heard the voice of a young boy nearing where she was stood. His voice was soon followed by an irritated sigh from what appeared to be an older male.

"Nicholas, this better not be another one of your little pranks"

"It isn't sir! Honest! I saw her myself!"

The young girl bit her lip. She had been found while she was unconscious? As much as she was over the moon about it, she wasn't sure if the people who were approaching were friendly or not. In fact, she thought this forest within Cardington was deserted. In a moment of panic, she quickly began scanning the area for somewhere to hide. That was when her eyes fell upon the abandoned shed. Without another moment to lose, she quickly yanked open the door and dashed inside, gently shutting the door behind her.

The girl slowly backed away from the door as footsteps crunched their way loudly towards the spot where she had been stood. The older man let out another irritated sigh as the sounds suddenly stopped.

"Nicholas, these pranks of yours are not going to get you anywhere in life. There is going to come a time when you are telling the truth, and no one will believe you because of all the pranks you and Xavier have done"

"But sir, it's not a prank! The girl was right here, sleeping in this very spot! Honest sir!"

The girl suddenly cried out in surprise as she tripped over something behind her, falling onto her backside as a loud clang echoed around the shed. She quickly put her hand over her mouth, realising the two people outside may have heard her. The girl glanced at the item in front of her to find she had tripped over a metal bucket.

"What on earth…?"

The girl started to slowly back away as she heard the footsteps approach the shed door. She was backed up against the far wall of the shed by the time the door was slowly opened. A boy who appeared to be a bit younger than her cautiously poked his head through the opening. As soon as he spotted the girl at the back of the shed, he pushed the door open wider to show the older man who was standing behind him. The boy jumped up and down excitedly, pointing towards the girl at the other side of the shed.

"See Mister Hoffman! I told you! That's the girl I found!"

The older man, currently dubbed Mr Hoffman, stared on in surprise, adjusting his glasses a little.

"Oh my… Well Nicholas, it seems you were telling the truth after all"

The boy, now revealed to be called Nicholas, grinned proudly. It was the first time ever that he had received some praise for doing something right for once. The girl sat up straighter as she glanced between the two people at the entrance to the shed. She was still quite frightened at this moment in time, but not as much as before, since they didn't appear to be very threatening.

Mr Hoffman slowly started to walk into the shed, followed closely behind by Nicholas. The girl pressed her back up against the wall as the two approached, her eyes widening slightly. Mr Hoffman sensed the fear surrounding the girl and stopped halfway across the shed. Nicholas however continued walking towards her. This didn't help the girl's nerves at all, and she continued to push herself back against the shed wall in an attempt to increase the space between them.

"Nicholas, you're not helping matters. Can't you see she's frightened?" Mr Hoffman intervened.

Nicholas immediately halted, only just realising she was scared of them.

"Oh. Sorry sir"

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. The girl seemed to relax a little at that. As long as they kept their distance, she would be fine. Mr Hoffman turned towards the young girl.

"Are you lost, my dear?"

The girl nodded a little in response. Mr Hoffman frowned in thought.

"I see... Did something happen to your parents?"

The girl nodded cautiously again; although she was confused.

(Why is this man asking me so many questions?)

Mr Hoffman smiled warmly.

"Ah, now I understand. You do not need to be frightened of us, my dear. We are not here to harm you. I can tell that you have been through something very traumatising. I assure you, we only want to help"

The girl was still feeling very cautious; however her back relaxed a little against the wall. She wasn't feeling as tense as before. Mr Hoffman continued after clearing his throat.

"We are from Rose Garden Orphanage. It's a large building not too far from here. I am the Headmaster of the Orphanage, Mr Hoffman-"

Mr Hoffman indicated with his hand flat and his palm facing upwards towards Nicholas.

"And this young lad here is Nicholas, one of the few orphans currently living with us. If you would like to, then we will take you back to the Orphanage to sort out this little dilemma of yours. It is not safe for a child such as yourself to be wandering around on your own, and you look worn out. You don't have to feel like you need to handle everything on your own"

The girl hesitated at first. She didn't know if this man was telling the truth or not. Nicholas could see the girl was still uneasy. He quickly walked forward, forgetting about her being frightened of the two.

"Mr Hoffman isn't lying. Here, I'll show you"

He gently grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her up onto her feet, running out the shed. The girl found herself being yanked along a little with him; however she didn't pull away. As much as she was frightened of Nicholas' sudden actions, she wanted to know if they were telling the truth, so she allowed her legs to follow along with Nicholas' running.

With Mr Hoffman slowly walking after them, mumbling to himself about how hasty Nicholas had been with his actions, Nicholas ran a small way down the dirt track with the girl until a large mansion came into view through the many bushes and trees surrounding the pathway. He pointed it out to the girl so she could see. There was a small sign above the gate that said "Rose Garden Orphanage" on it.

"See! There it is! That's the Orphanage there!"

He carefully let go of her wrist as Mr Hoffman finally caught up with the two. He stood behind them with his hands behind his back. The girl once again glanced back towards the Orphanage, debating with herself. She had originally trekked away from her home to find help in the first place, correct? And these people were welcoming her with open arms and offering to help out her situation. This could be the only help she might find. If she were to decline their offer, she may end up starving to death, or worse... The thought sent a nasty chill down her spine. Mr Hoffman adjusted his glasses.

"So, would you like us to help you?"

After some more thought, the girl finally nodded stiffly in agreement. Mr Hoffman smiled.

"We're glad you agree"

"By the way, what's your name?" Nicholas suddenly questioned.

(My name...)

The girl swallowed quietly as she gathered the courage to try to speak, looking down at the floor a little.

"V-Viola... My name's Viola..."

* * *

_The Lost Girl was brought to the Orphanage by the Rule of Rose's Headmaster and the boy, who was now revealed to be the Sloppy Prince Nicholas. _

_The rumour that a new arrival had been brought into the Orphanage soon spread around the Aristocracy like wild fire, until it had finally reached the ears of the Princess of the Red Rose via the Wise Princess. _

_The Princess then made the decision that the Lost Girl should be enrolled into the Aristocrat Club. Her name was placed at the bottom of the Aristocracy ranking chart in the Club Room, along with the Small Hearted Princess and the Unlucky Girl. _

_Of course, the Lost Girl was yet to be told that she had been put forward into the Aristocrat Club. So they sent along a messenger to alert her of this news…_

* * *

Jennifer timidly walked slowly through the hallways of the Rose Garden Orphanage, occasionally glancing into any rooms with open doors, clutching tightly onto a small piece of paper that had been rolled up. It had been a week since Mr Hoffman had briefly introduced the unexpected arrival of the new girl into the Orphanage. It had been unexpected since Jennifer herself had only arrived at the Orphanage a short while before the new girl. Jennifer had seen the new girl a few times during the day, but she hadn't properly been introduced to her. She had wanted to talk to her many times; however, the Aristocrat Club were making her and Amanda work a lot more lately, and she had been too tired to do so.

Under orders of the Princess of the Red Rose, the new girl had been added into the Aristocrat Club. Of course, she had yet to be told, since the new girl had mostly been with Mr Hoffman and Clara sorting out some things, or she had wandered off on her own elsewhere to tend to her chores. Since the Baroness couldn't be bothered to chase down the girl, Jennifer had been given the job instead. Jennifer didn't really mind. She had wanted to talk to the new girl for quite some time, and was hoping she could make friends with her. The Aristocrats mainly shunned her anyway, including Amanda, despite the fact that they were both in poorer classes than the rest of them. She honestly hoped that the new girl didn't turn against her either…

Just as Jennifer reached the stairs, she heard the echo of objects hitting off one another in the hallway. Curiously she slowly walked down some of the steps, stopping halfway so she could see past the wall. Jennifer timidly leaned over the banister to find Xavier and Nicholas in the middle of one of their "sword" duels with two brooms they had taken from the cleaning supplies cupboard. They were standing by the entrance to the Orphanage. Jennifer sighed. As much as she hated the idea, she was going to have to confront the two boys about the whereabouts of the new girl. She couldn't avoid not asking anyone, since she'd already wasted enough time wandering around aimlessly and guessing where she could be. And she knew that Meg wouldn't take too kindly to bringing the girl back to the Aristocrat meeting late…

Taking in a deep breath, Jennifer timidly walked down the rest of the stairs, and slowly made her way towards Xavier and Nicholas. Upon hearing footsteps approach, Xavier paused while blocking an attempt to unarm him from Nicholas with his broom held at a sideward angle. He glanced towards Jennifer, giving her a look of disgust. Nicholas soon followed his gaze; however he did not react. He only watched curiously as Jennifer stood in front of the two of them timidly. Xavier rolled his eyes.

"What do you want, _filthy_ Jennifer?! Can't you see we are in the middle of a duel?!"

Jennifer cringed slightly at the venom in his tone, and the emphasis he had used on her "nickname". Since she was in a lower class in the Aristocracy, Jennifer was quite often classed as filth to them. Even when they weren't obeying the Aristocrats, people still treated her the same way. It bothered her quite a lot; however she tried to let it pass. Jennifer assumed that if she tried to object against her ill treatment in any way, she would surely be punished for it one way or the other.

The young girl swallowed the small lump now forming in her throat from fear as she tried to talk to the Gluttonous Prince.

"H-Have you seen the new girl anywhere? I have been requested by the Baroness to bring her to the Aristocrat Club immediately"

Xavier shrugged his chubby shoulders, scratching his belly where his shirt was not covering it.

"I don't know. And I certainly don't care! With the way that girl continually wanders off, she's just going to be as much trouble as you are. I can't see why the Princess of the Red Rose requested her to be a part of the Aristocrats! She's just another nuisance"

Nicholas on the other hand pointed towards the entrance doors.

"Viola went outside a few moments ago. She said she wanted to have a look at the flowers Wendy planted"

Xavier raised his eyebrow.

"Why are you being kind to filthy Jennifer, Nicholas? It's not usually like you to be helpful"

Nicholas lifted up his broom so the end was facing Xavier and grinned, getting into a fighting stance.

"That's none of your bees wax! Now on guard!"

Xavier was quick to turn his broom to the side as Nicholas quickly lunged forward with his broom tightly in his grasp. Jennifer quickly weaved around them as they began their sword fight again so she could get to the entrance unharmed. She quickly and forcefully pushed open the left door.

The little girl slowly poked her head through the small gap, and looked around carefully for any sign of the girl. Finally, Jennifer's eyes landed on a girl crouching down on the pathway that led to the large iron gate at the other end, staring at a small patch of red rose buds that had recently been planted there by Wendy. Of course, when Wendy had planted them, they had only been seeds. The recent downpour of rain seemed to have helped them grow a bit faster than usual. Jennifer didn't really feel like disturbing the girl; however she had to obey the Baroness, no exceptions. She knew what was in store for her if she didn't…

Jennifer carefully approached Viola. Upon hearing the sound of footsteps, Viola curiously turned her head towards the noise to see Jennifer approach her. The minute Viola's eyes glanced at her, Jennifer froze. She was surprised that Viola had good hearing. Jennifer cleared her throat nervously before speaking.

"You're Viola, aren't you? The new girl?"

Jennifer had no idea of what she was going to say to the girl, so for now she just went with whatever came into her head first. Viola slowly stood up and turned to face Jennifer curiously. She nodded.

"Yes I am. I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember your name. Who are you again?"

"Jennifer. My name's Jennifer"

Jennifer finally managed to find the words she had wanted to say.

"I'm sorry for troubling you, but I have been sent by the Baroness to give you a message"

Jennifer timidly held out the piece of paper towards Viola. Jennifer was happy that Viola was the same height as her. She felt less intimidated. Viola, who was very confused as to what Jennifer was talking about, cautiously took the piece of paper from the girl's small hands and slowly unravelled it. Holding it with both her hands like a scroll, Viola read the following message out loud:

_You have been invited to join the Red Crayon Aristocrat Club by the Princess of the Red Rose herself. A meeting shall be held at some point today, and we would like you to attend. Please do not be tardy, otherwise certain consequences shall be carried out. We hope to see you there._

_Signed: The Baroness_

Viola stared at the message for a moment, re-reading it in her head over and over again. After a moment of silence, Viola rolled the piece of paper back up again and stared at Jennifer confused.

"Who are "the Red Crayon Aristocrat Club" and what is this message talking about? Mr Hoffman never mentioned anything like this about the Orphanage"

Jennifer smiled a little. It felt odd that she was no longer the one asking all the questions around here, but it felt like a good thing mainly.

"Mr Hoffman doesn't know about it. The Aristocrat club is a small society made up of the children here at the Orphanage. Each of us has a title or rank within this, meaning there are some of us that are ranked higher than others. The higher ranked members have the power to order the lower ranked members around, and also punish them"

Viola's eyes widened at the mention of the word "punish".

"That does seem a bit severe. Who started this club?"

"The Princess of the Red Rose, but don't worry about the punishments! As long as you obey the rules, then you'll be fine!"

Jennifer's eyes suddenly widened in realisation.

"Oh! I just remembered! The meeting is going to start soon!"

She went to run off, but quickly stopped herself, remembering Viola didn't know where the meeting was being held. Jennifer slowly turned back around to face her.

"You are going to attend the meeting, aren't you?"

Viola tilted her head to the side slightly as she thought about her response. She had no idea what this club was about, and didn't like the idea of the "punishments" they might give out; however, she needed to find out more about this "Aristocrat Club" before she jumped to any conclusions.

"I might as well. I need to know what this club is about first before I judge it"

Jennifer sighed in relief. She was glad she wasn't going to get into trouble. She gave Viola a small smile.

"I'll show you to the meeting room. Just follow me"

Jennifer quickly turned around and started running towards the doors. Viola quickly followed behind, trying her best to keep up with her. As they entered back into the mansion, Jennifer found that Xavier and Nicholas were nowhere to be found. This began to worry her, since she thought they might have gone off to the meeting room already. She quickened her pace as she dashed up the stairs. Viola managed to keep up quite well, even if it was with some difficulty. She never realised that Jennifer was a fast runner. Then again, if these children ordered her around a lot, Jennifer must have had a lot of practice.

After going through various hallways and up quite a few sets of stairs, Jennifer finally reached the Club Room in the attic. To her surprise, the door was wide open. Jennifer became frightened. Were the Aristocrats waiting inside for them already, preparing a punishment for Jennifer's tardiness? Viola saw Jennifer's uneasiness straight away. Unsure of what to do, she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"What's wrong? Are we supposed to go in, or do we have to wait for someone to tell us?"

Jennifer flinched slightly at the touch, snapping out of her trance.

"N-No. We're supposed to go in. I'm sorry. I just found it odd that the door was left open. It isn't usually like this, that's all…"

Taking in a deep breath, Jennifer cautiously entered the Club Room, with Viola following close behind. After a quick scan of the area, it seemed as if the rest of the club members weren't there. Jennifer sighed heavily in relief. They weren't late after all. She was glad. Viola glanced curiously around the room. It was quite dark in here, aside from a few candles littered around. At the far end of the room were old sheets covering what appeared to be boxes piled up on top of each other in three rows. On the far end of the top box were two chairs. The one on the left had an aged looking teddy bear on it, while the right chair had a doll wearing a bright red dress. Viola was confused as to why they were there.

Finally her eyes rested upon a paper chart stuck to the wall on the right side of the door with names on it. Jennifer followed Viola's gaze as she stood beside her, staring up at the ranking chart on the wall.

"This is where they keep track of who is what rank in the Aristocrat Club"

Jennifer got up on her tip toes and pointed towards the top of the chart, moving her finger downwards as she read out each one to Viola.

"The Princess of the Red Rose is the highest in authority. These are followed by the Duchess, the Countess, and the Baroness. The Duchess is second in command, so she can give orders to anyone below her. And the Baroness is in charge of the punishments and announcements from the Princess of the Red Rose. They are the personal organiser for the club"

Jennifer's finger hovered on the bold red crayon line that separated the higher ranks from the lower ones.

"Everyone else isn't on here because they don't highlight the middle ranks on this chart; however, anyone who isn't above or below this red line is in the middle class"

Jennifer continued moving her finger down the paper again, until finally it rested by Amanda's name.

"And then we have the lower ranks. Since you're new to the Aristocracy, you have had to start from the bottom like me and Amanda. But once you start carrying out orders and requests from the club, you should move up"

Jennifer glanced at Viola, giving her a small smile. Viola smiled back a little, glancing towards the rankings on the chart once more. She stared intently at the rankings for the lower class. They read:

_Poor Amanda_

_Irritating Jennifer_

_Miserable Viola_

(What kind of rankings are those…?) Viola wondered to herself.

They seemed more like insults than actual rankings. Then again, poorer classes were treated horridly, so she understood why that had been done.

That was when the two of them heard the door to the room slam shut loudly, shaking the walls a little. Viola and Jennifer both jumped with fright and swirled around to see Susan standing in front of the door, chuckling a little at their reactions. She swirled around on her heels, and began skipping slowly back up the make shift isle towards the boxes at the other end of the room. Olivia was sat on the box nearest the floor to their right, fiddling with her fingers. It seemed the Aristocrats had been in here the whole time. They had been hiding however.

Viola and Jennifer stayed by the door as they watched the Aristocrats take their desired places. Amanda sat on the box opposite Olivia and Susan at the other end of the room, fiddling with the hem of her dress nervously. Meg stood on the box in the middle of the second row in front of the box that had the two chairs on it. Diana stood on the box behind Amanda, while Eleanor was stood opposite Diana on a box behind Susan and Olivia. Xavier and Nicholas sat down in front of the boxes on the floor.

Diana was the first to curtsey, along with Eleanor and then Meg soon after. The three of them soon seated themselves on the boxes as Meg held her notebook in front of her proudly. Viola watched on with curiosity. She was surprised at the way these children behaved. They didn't behave how she thought they would have done. They were acting more like adults instead of children…

Meg cleared her throat to make sure that everyone around her was silent. Everyone immediately shushed each other on cue.

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome to the Aristocrat Club. I would like to thank you all for attending on time today. An announcement from the Princess of the Red Rose says: My dearest subjects, we have a new member joining our Aristocracy today…"

Meg stood up again, adjusting her glasses with one hand. Using her other hand to balance her open notebook, she pointed towards Viola by the door with her free hand.

"Please give a warm welcome to our newest low ranked member, _Miserable_ Viola"


End file.
